Solar

California is probably going to require solar panels on every home

Pricey, but planet-friendly

A new regulation set to pass in California will require solar panels to be installed on every home.

What it means: California is huge – it's not even a country and yet it's the world's 5th largest economy. That also means it uses a lot of energy.

Renewable energy is California governor Jerry Brown's thing. He wants the state to be 100% renewable-run by 2045, and make all homes energy-neutral – in other words, make sure they produce as much as they consume.

The issue is, installing solar panels will cost around $9,500, making homes more expensive in a housing market that's already pushing out low-income earners. In the long run, proponents say it'll save around $19,000 in energy bills – but it's still a big upfront cost.

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